Cokie has had way too many surgeries for me to keep track of. The surgeries are because of burns she suffered in China. Several of her surgeries were done in China before she was one year old. This week she had the first of three surgeries to build up the leg that was burned most severely using integra material. The surgeries will also give her better mobility by releasing tension caused by the burned skin not stretching. Tuesday they inserted the material. The second surgery will be skin grafting over the areas where the tension was released and the skin has now pulled apart. During the third surgery the doctors will transplant fat from her abdomen to build up her leg. I am so thankful to God for the talented researchers who develop the technology that allows these amazing procedures to be done and for the talented doctors who are able to do them.
Cokie has three of these tubes now coming out of her leg and they will stay in for 2 or 3 weeks. Meanwhile, we go back to the hospital twice a week to have the bandages changed. She also has a large cut at the top of her leg. The only problem we've had so far is the wound vac she is hooked up to. The wound vac helps heal the wounds 3 to 4 times faster. The problem is when there is a problem the machine beeps and beeps. It is my job to figure out why it is beeping. If the wound vac is not working, the surgery could have to be redone. Sigh... I have to call the help line and they walk me through whatever issue it is having. Like any help line, the answer is sometimes, "turn the machine off and then turn it back on again."
You know you are at the hospital too often, when you walk in and doctors you are not there to see that day start saying hello. Seriously, we are so blessed to live so close to a great children's hospital with so many wonderful doctors! (Yes, I realize there are a lot of "so's" in that sentence!)
Being the sweet sister Lael is, she arranged for Cokie to go to sleep with Adam Levine playing. Cokie loves him.
We found out later that Lyric was playing a little joke on everyone, including the doctors, while they were preparing Cokie's information for the surgery. Lyric told us about it after it was all over.
Lyric: "Did you notice the lights getting dimmer?"
Me: "I noticed the room was kind of dark."
Lyric: "Every time no one was looking a turned them down a little. One time I saw the doctor look up."
Boone was more than happy to eat anything Cokie wouldn't.
Ironically, look what the bird on his shirt is saying... "You gonna finish those?"
Aunt Becki made her this.
Boone: "I call anything she doesn't eat!"
Lyric insisted on pushing.
Cokie mixes it up when it comes to decorating up her folder. Real girls love Jesus... and men with muscles!! And she was a Steph Curry fan before everyone jumped on the bandwagon.
